Today in Arizona History

Today in Arizona History

Feb. 21, 2018

On this date in 1864, Gov. John Noble Goodwin instructed U.S. Marshal Milton B. Duffield to take the first Arizona Territorial census.

On this date in 1881, the city of Phoenix was incorporated with a population of 1,780.

Monday, Feb. 26

On this date in 1837, Army Chaplin and Maj. Winfield Scott, for whom Scottsdale was named, was born. Scott homesteaded in the Scottsdale area while still serving at Fort Huachuca.

On this date in 1908, 200 prominent citizens of Douglas gathered in the new Gadsden Hotel for a "dollar dinner" to discuss and plan for the future of the young city of Douglas, then less than 7 years old.

Tuesday, Feb. 27

On this date in 1862, Confederate Capt. Sherod Hunter entered Tucson with fewer than 130 dragoons and was greeted with a celebration.

On this date in 1901, the Tombstone Prospector noted that the third story of the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee had been completed and workmen had begun to erect the two large towers.

On this date in 1927, a construction company arrived at the Grand Canyon to begin work on the Grand View Road in Grand Canyon National Park.

Wednesday, Feb. 28

On this date in 1856, Solomon Warner arrived in Tucson from Yuma with a train of 13 mules loaded with merchandise for Tucson's first general store.

On this date in 1859, the first Indian reservation in Arizona was established on the Gila River for the Pima and Maricopa Indians.

On this date in 1925, Phoenix celebrated the opening of the Phoenix-Yuma-Imperial Valley Highway.

On this date in 2009, Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, dies at age 90 at a Phoenix hospital.

Thursday, March 1

On this date in 1877, the Arizona Star began publication in Tucson as The Bulletin.

On this date in 1911, the Southern Belle Mines Co. was incorporated with Col. William "Buffalo Bill" Cody as one of the incorporators. The company, capitalized at $1 million, was expected to take over Col. Cody's Campo Bonito property near Oracle.

On this date in 1913, Tucson's mayor complained to police about stray horses grazing in his front yard. Long-suffering city residents frequently found cattle, burros and horses browsing in the lawns at night.

On this date in 1933, the Saguaro Cactus Forest outside Tucson was set aside as a national monument by President Herbert Hoover.

Friday, March 2

On this date in 1889, the Atlantic & Pacific train was held up in Canyon Diablo, 26 miles (42 kilometers) west of Winslow, and the express box was stolen. Sheriff Bucky O'Neill captured the bandits in Utah a few weeks later.

On this date in 1909, the Navajo National Monument, including Keet Seel and Betatakin, was established.

On this date in 1911, a Phoenix women's club met to discuss a clean-up campaign in anticipation of a visit by Col. Theodore Roosevelt.

On this date in 1914, the first electric lights were turned on in Safford.

Saturday, March 3

On this date in 1757, San Cosme de Tucson was established on the west bank of the Santa Cruz River by Father Bernard Middendorf. No trace of the large mission ruin remains today.

On this date in 1859, the first newspaper in the state, the Weekly Arizonian, was published in Tubac.

On this date in 1865, the Colorado River Indian Reservation was established for the Hualupais, Yavapais and other tribes along the Colorado River.

On this date in 1877, Congress passed the Desert Land Act, permitting settlers to get title to 610 acres (247 hectares) of desert land provided they would irrigate it within three years.

On this date in 1908, the town of Florence was incorporated.

On this date in 1911, Congress appropriated $90,000 for construction of a bridge across the Little Colorado River near Cameron.

On this date in 1913, troops from the 9th U.S. Cavalry fought a 30-minute battle with Mexican troops on the border near Agua Prieta. Four Mexican soldiers were killed and an estimated 4,000 shots were fired.